Suzuki Motor Corporation (SMC) and Maruti Suzuki India Limited has announced plans to establish the Osamu Suzuki Centre of Excellence (OSCOE) in India, to tribute late Osamu Suzuki. The announcement was made during a remembrance ceremony held at Yashobhoomi, Delhi, honoring the former Chairman of Suzuki Motor Corporation who passed away on December 25, 2024, in Japan.
As per the company, the proposed OSCOE aims to celebrate and perpetuate Suzuki’s pioneering contributions to India’s automotive sector and broader manufacturing ecosystem.
Osamu Suzuki was instrumental in introducing the Japanese manufacturing philosophy to India, principles that powered Maruti Suzuki’s rise and bolstered India’s status as a major automobile manufacturing hub. OSCOE will serve as a platform to advance these ideas further, with proposed centres in Gujarat and Haryana. The initiative aims to strengthen India’s manufacturing competitiveness, enhance the capabilities of component suppliers across all tiers, and promote global supply chain readiness.
Additionally, OSCOE is envisioned as a cross-sectoral Centre of Excellence. It will collaborate with academia and industry partners to create infrastructure and educational programmes that propagate Japanese manufacturing principles. These will include formal courses, lectures, seminars and knowledge-sharing platforms designed to foster an inclusive, innovative and resilient manufacturing base in India.
Osamu Suzuki’s legacy is deeply rooted in making car ownership accessible to millions of Indians, while also nurturing a robust auto components industry. His six-decade-long journey with Suzuki Motor Corporation, beginning in 1958 after graduating from Chuo University, saw him at the helm of key transformations that shaped the company’s global expansion and deepened Indo-Japanese industrial ties.
Over the years, Suzuki was honoured with numerous awards recognizing his contributions to industry and bilateral relations. These include Japan’s Medal with Blue Ribbon (1987), the Order of the Rising Sun, Gold and Silver Star (2000), India’s Padma Bhushan (2007), and most recently, the Padma Vibhushan in 2025. He also received multiple accolades from the Hungarian government and was inducted into the Japan Automobile Hall of Fame in 2002.